


Child Surprise

by Hestia



Series: Witcher headcanons and shorts [11]
Category: Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-30
Updated: 2020-08-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:28:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,251
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26184229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hestia/pseuds/Hestia
Summary: What if Jaskier doesn't meet Geralt in Posada but instead shows up one day in Kaer MorhenPart of a series but like always it's independent
Relationships: Eskel/Jaskier | Dandelion, Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion
Series: Witcher headcanons and shorts [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1769020
Comments: 9
Kudos: 172





	Child Surprise

**Author's Note:**

> I wasn't planning to post this one (cause it's more of a concept) but people on Tumblr seemed to enjoy it so I hope you will too

What if Geralt doesn’t meet Jaskier in Posada but rather when the bard shows up one evening at the gates of Kaer Morhen, right before winter sets in. **  
**

He’s a little beaten up, the Path is not forgiving, but they are all rather impressed that tiny human managed to come all the way up without getting killed, especially with all the snow falling steadily for a couple of days already.

They offer him a meal because he’s definitely human and offers no danger to four Witchers and he’s definitely going to pass out if they don’t feed him. They fully intend to walk him back down the valley in the morning. But during dinner, Jaskier explains that he was claimed by the law of surprise by Vesemir twenty years ago and never knew until a few weeks back when his father told him on his death bed and he felt it was his duty to find the man.

Vesemir looks ashamed because he’s been keeping that a secret for a long time and wouldn’t claim Jaskier. When he asks why Vesemir didn’t come back to claim him, the older Witcher explains that by the time he came back to Lettenhove, he felt Jaskier was too old and it would be cruel to take him away from his human life and his place as a Viscount one day.

That starts a huge argument between Lambert and Vesemir as he was even older than Jaskier when he was brought to the Keep and nobody cared about taking away his humanity. Eskel tries to calm him down but Lambert finally storms off during the argument and they don’t see him for three days.

Meanwhile, Jaskier offers his services to the Witchers since that the only things that feel right now that he knows he was supposed to be one of them. Vesemir accepts, not wanting to go against Fate again when its the second time a child surprise found one of them and he doesn’t want things to end up as badly as they did for Eskel. He thinks Jaskier will get tired and will leave as soon as spring melts down the snow and they won’t ever see him again. But he’s dead wrong.

Jaskier settles in a routine bit by bits. He moans and complains but he still wakes up early to help Geralt take care of the horses in the mornings and help him clean the equipment after practice. He helps Vesemir take care of the garden and helps prepare the meals. He joins Eskel and helps him reorganize the library and they cut wood together for the Keep. He helps with the laundry and the repairs when he can.

Jaskier has never felt more tired in this life, it’s so far from the life he thought he would have. But for the first time ever he feels useful and like he belongs. He loves his family but he’s never felt quite right among them. And every new task is an opportunity to get to know his Witchers. At night he relaxes by playing them music.

He’s surprised one morning when he realises he’s starting to enjoy the physical demands of this new life and that he also enjoys discovering the men he shares it with.

He learns that Vesemir will start humming old songs when he’s concentrating on his cooking and won’t even notice he’s doing it until Jaskier star humming quietly with him. Vesemir never says anything but Jaskier can see the tiny smile forming at the corner of his lips every time.

He learns that Geralt will be very reserved with everybody except when he thinks he’s alone with Roach. When he talks with her it’s like all the gates are open and nobody can stop him. He had a terrible sense of humour and Jaskier finds that absolutely adorable.

He learns Eskel knows more history than anybody Jaskier has ever met before and loves to share his knowledge of the world. He also loves fairy tales and science and is fascinated by monsters’ anatomy and can talk hours and hours about that while they clean up the Keep together. His deep voice is as fascinating as his stories.

Life among the Witchers is hard work for someone like him but it’s easy too. He finds his place among them like Kaer Morhen has been his home all along.

Except that Lambert remains a mystery. And while Jaskier gets closer and closer to Eskel and Geralt every day, Lambert barely ever talks with him and won’t accept any help from the human. It takes Lambert showing up one night after diner very very drunk for Jaskier to realise the Witcher is jealous. He’s angry and resentful Jaskier got to have his life when Lambert’s was taken away from him. He hates Jaskier for showing up and choosing to live among them when he was free of that shit life. Jaskier feels sad for Lambert and refuses to leave things between them like that.

It takes weeks of hard work and kind words, and sometimes sassy ones thrown back at Lambert’s face, for him to be able to approach Lambert one night with two empty cups and several bottles. Jaskier invites him to drink. Just the two of them. And Lambert will get to insult him as much he wants and nobody will stop him (he made Eskel and Geralt swear they won’t interfere). Lambert accepts reluctantly, thinking he will be an easy way to shut Jaskier up for good.

Nobody is witness to what happens that night but Eskel finds them both the next morning in Lil’ Bleater’s enclosure, sleeping peacefully on top of each other on the ground. They both strongly smell of alcohol, Lambert has dark mud streak across his cheeks and Jaskier only has one sock on. After that, they aren’t exactly friends but Lambert joins them for every meal again without growling at anyone.

When spring comes around Jaskier doesn’t want to go back to his life but he can’t stay alone almost all year at Kaer Morhen either. He has to leave and it breaks his heart.

Tentatively Geralt asks him to walk the Path with him for a little bit. Jaskier is torn. He wants to say yes but he doesn’t want to leave Eskel alone either. He won’t tell them he likes them both but he feels it deep in his chest. After a while, Lambert gets tired of seeing them circle each other and find them a compromise. Jaskier follows Geralt during spring and half of summer and spends the other half and all of autumn with Eskel.

Eskel is the first to throw caution to the wind and can’t help himself and kisses Jaskier only a few weeks after the bard has joined him on the Path. It’s not romantic. They are in a small room in a very noisy and shabby inn but it feels right and that’s all that matter. Geralt missed him too much and can’t stop himself and kisses him as soon as Jaskier is trough the gates of the Keep that same year. Both Witchers get to share him all winter. Jaskier has never felt more alive and at home than in their beds.

And when all four of them are laughing at a stupid joke Lambert made one night around a table full of cards and drinks, Vesemir thinks for once Destiny was kind to the few wolves left, by bringing them Jaskier.


End file.
